The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires CubeSats and other picosatellites to be designed to re-enter the atmosphere within 25 years of the end of their useful lifetimes. Without an assistance, it is estimated that a CubeSat may take over 150 years to de-orbit from an 800 km altitude.
One conventional device uses a balloon to assist a CubeSat to re-enter the atmosphere. However, the device requires the satellite to maintain a functioning power system and flight computer. The balloon can be released on command from ground control, and a sub-system on the CubeSat fills the balloon to maintain pressure. Furthermore, the lower earth orbit (LEO) environment contains relatively high levels of atomic oxygen (AO) and solar ultraviolet (UV) which can erode or otherwise degrade certain organic polymers that a conventional balloon device may be made from. Even aluminum-coated polymers can suffer erosion or degradation at microscopic cracks created during manufacturing, storage, and deployment with a conventional balloon device. Though a conventional balloon device may survive the relatively harsh space environment for the long duration currently required by the FCC to de-orbit a CubeSat, such a device would occupy a relatively large portion of the useful volume of the satellite.